The Foreign Office on Wednesday condemned the “inflammatory monologue” delivered by Indian PM Narendra Modi in Gujarat, urging India to “return to the core principles of international order”.
The developments follow a recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan over New Delhi’s allegations against Islamabad, without evidence, about a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes in Pakistan, resulting in civilian casualties. Islamabad responded by downing five Indian jets. After intercepting drones sent by India and tit-for-tat strikes on each other’s airbases, it took American intervention on May 10 for both sides to finally drop their guns as a ceasefire was reached.
In a video posted by Indian news outlet ANI, Modi, addressing India’s youth, calls into question the contents of the Indus Waters Treaty. He said, “If you study the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, you’ll be shocked.”
He continued, “It was decided that the dams built on the rivers of Jammu and Kashmir would not be cleaned… For 60 years, these gates were never opened. Reservoirs that were supposed to be filled to 100 per cent capacity have now been reduced to only 2pc or 3pc.”
Stating that the treaty has only been held in abeyance as of now, he added, “Right now, I haven’t done anything, and people are sweating there [Pakistan].”
Calling Modi’s remarks “unexpected”, the FO in its statement urged India to set aside its project of “historical revisionism”.
The FO termed India’s approach towards the treaty as a “troubling departure from international norms”, while drawing a contrast between Pakistan and India’s regional conduct and global ambitions.
“A leadership truly in pursuit of international respect might first look inward, and seek to cleanse its conscience before issuing threats to others,” the statement read.
It further added, “Pakistan urges India to return to the core principles of international order including respect for sovereign rights of others and its treaty obligations, as well as restraint in both language and action.”
The FO in its statement cautioned that “Jingoism may stir applause on the campaign trail, but it undermines long-term peace and stability”. It continued that “India’s youth, often the first casualty of chauvinistic nationalism, would do well to reject the politics of fear and instead work toward a future defined by dignity, reason, and regional cooperation”.
The statement read that such acts may serve domestic optics but cannot withstand international scrutiny or inspire India’s image as a responsible regional power, while highlighting that “the ideological followers of India’s current government have normalised mob violence, promoted hate campaigns and targeted religious minorities”.
“The Indian government is linked to extraterritorial assassinations and foreign subversion.
India is in occupation of foreign people and territories. Its record in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir is defined by systematic repression. It is ironic that such a state now attempts to claim the mantle of victimhood.“